WHO agency ranks herbicide 2,4-D as less risky than glyphosate

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2015 –The
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health
Organization, classified the herbicide
2,4-D as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” this week, a rating seized upon by
GMO labeling campaigns, but downplayed by industry and agricultural groups who
say the classification sounds much worse than it actually is.

The
IARC Working Group placed 2,4-D in its group 2B, alongside other reviewed
substances including aloe vera, coffee and pickled vegetables. GMO Answers, a
portal run by agricultural companies for consumers, put together a chart of some
substances or activities IARC has placed in category 2B since 1979. Among them
are talc-based body powder and carpentry. See below.

IARC said its decision was based on “limited
evidence in experimental animals,” and “inadequate evidence in humans.”
The classification was made by a working group of 26 experts from 13 countries,
the agency said.

2,4-D, a widely used herbicide that controls
broadleaf weeds, has been registered in the United States since 1948.

James Bus, a senior managing scientist at Exponent
Engineering and Scientific Consulting, said in an article that exposure and
dosage are critical when determining if a substance is a human carcinogen.

“IARC acknowledges that if exposure were factored
into the equation, a different result could be reached,” Bus said in a post on
GMO Answers. The agency looks at whether something “could potentially” cause
cancer, but not whether it “will or is likely to” cause cancer in real-world
use, he noted.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
determined in its reviews of the chemical that 2,4-D is “not likely to be
carcinogenic to humans.”

EPA reviewed
2,4-D comprehensively in 2005, again in 2012 and in 2014
when it evaluated a new product from Dow AgroSciences called Enlist
Duo,
which combines 2,4-D and the herbicide glyphosate.
The agency approved Enlist Duo for commercial use in 15 states.

EPA concluded that the herbicide
meets safety standards for the public, agricultural workers and endangered
species. The product contains what EPA described as a “new, lower volatility
pesticide formulation” that uses the choline salt of 2,4-D.

EPA previously concluded that glyphosate does not
pose a risk to human health if used according to the label, but is conducting a
re-registration review of the product. Food safety and environmental groups are
asking
EPA
to “strongly weigh” IARC’s glyphosate analysis in its upcoming review.

Julie Goodman,
an epidemiologist, board certified toxicologist and consultant to the 2,4-D Research Task Force, said during a media call Tuesday that
she does not believe IARC’s classification of 2,4-D should have any influence
on EPA or any other regulatory body.

“IARC classifies substances based
on their hazards but that is not the whole picture,” she said. “[The IARC
review] is a hazard assessment; not a risk assessment.”

“You need exposure information in
real-world situations to see if people are actually at risk,” Goodman said,
adding that 90 regulatory agencies around the world -- including
EPA, Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority and the World Health
Organization – have determined there is no risk
of cancer from 2,4-D. The WHO assessment is independent of IARC.

Meanwhile, the Just Label It campaign issued a statement Tuesday that says IARC’s
decision to classify 2,4-D as a possible human carcinogen “means that both
active ingredients in Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist Duo herbicide for GMO crops are
human cancer risks.”

The group, which advocates for mandatory labeling of
any food made with genetically modified crops, said EPA’s decision to approve
Enlist Duo means “that millions of Americans will be exposed to herbicides with
known human health hazards in coming years.”

Gary Hirshberg, chairman of the Just Label It
campaign and chairman and co-founder of Stonyfield Farm, added, “Unless GMO
products are labeled, consumers have no way to know if ingredients in the food
they buy were grown in a way that promoted use of these herbicides.”

In the House of Representatives, the Energy and
Commerce Committee and Agriculture Committee are currently reviewing legislation
sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., that would pre-empt state laws requiring
mandatory GMO food labeling.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. The renewable fuels industry is encouraged by a White House pledge to sell E-15 year round, but is concerned about the final outcome of the Trump administration’s discussions on the Renewable Fuel Standard. Skor suggests some possible conclusions might immediately lower corn prices and threaten thousands of renewable energy jobs. She is also concerned about hardship waivers granted by the EPA and has doubts about Administrator Pruitt’s commitment to fulfilling President Trump’s pledge to support renewable energy.

The farm bill suffered a familiar and disappointing fate on the House floor this week, going down in a 198-213 vote. Agri-Pulse's Phil Brasher and Spencer Chase talk about what happened and what's next.

The world of agriculture extends beyond what’s growing in your field or living in your barn, and here at Agri-Pulse, we understand that. We make it our duty to inform you of the most up-to-date agricultural and rural policy decisions being made in Washington D.C. and examine how they will affect you – the farmer, the lobbyist, the government employee, the educator, the consultant and the concerned citizen.